Today's CLO:
SWBAT identify the sun as the starting point of all energy in an ecosystem.
SWBAT explain why there are more producers than consumers in an ecosystem.

ecosystem triangle.jpg


  • Vocabulary for today:
    • producer
    • consumer
    • ecosystem
    • carnivore
    • herbivore
    • omnivore
    • decomposer
    • competition
    • mutualism
    • predator
    • prey
    • food web
    • food chain
    • energy pyramid

Essential Question for today:
  • How is energy lost in an ecosystem?






Activity for Today

Goal: To show the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
Question: How is energy transferred through an ecosystem?
Hypothesis: If energy is lost at every level in an ecosystem,
then there will be fewer organisms at each level.
Experimental Model:
Materials:
1. Set of labelled sun and organism name cards.
2. Yarn to show connections
a. White= Sun to producers.
b. Green= Producers to consumers (herbivores).
c. Blue= Consumers to consumers (omnivores &
(carnivores).
d. Brown= Organisms to decomposers.
3. Paper to draw energy diagram.
Procedure:
1. Get a name tag and put it on.
2. Find the Sun and connect it to ALL producers using
white yarn.
3. Next, connect ALL producers to herbivores and
omnivores using green yarn.
4. Now, connect ALL carnivores to certain herbivores and
certain omnivores (pay attention to the labels).
5. Connect ALL organisms to decomposers.
6. One person from each group will create a rough sketch
of this energy diagram, labeling the sun and the
organisms.
Results:
Count and record the total number of:
1. Suns
2. Producers
_
3. Herbivores _
4. Omnivores
_
5. Carnivores _
6. Decomposers
___

Conclusion:
Think about your results from the activity. Do you have EVIDENCE
that supports the hypothesis?